Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-06
PosTM AsTER GENERALS REPORT.

Postmaster General Villas makes a rosy
report. Notwithstanding the reduction
IN rates of postage the postal revenues
have been greater than ever before and
We're nearly 81, $40 900 greater than fol
the preceding fiscal year. The increase
in expenses has been little over $1,000,
600. The deficiency, which was seven
million dollars two years ago, has been
reduced three-sevenths, and whatever
expense there may be at the end of the
| present fiscal year in the cash eXpendi
lures over the receipts will, in General
Villas opinion, be much less than the
| postage upon the mail matter of the gov
eminent itself, estimated to be two mil
lion dollars annually. In other words
| from the beginning of the current fiscal
year 1t IS proper to say that the postal
service has again become self-supporting.
This is satisfactory but there will not be
unanimous agreement to the parenthet-
| ical addition that the usefulness and eff
cheney of the service has kept pace with
che increase of Ieceipts. On the contrary
very decidedly the reverse.
The postmaster general does not favor
any further reductions in postal rates at
present. The letter postage in the Unit
ed States, all things considered. is the
cheapest in the world, while 1.-The com
| blned receipts from all mail matter not
OF the first-class fall far short of the cost
of its handling; affording little claim,
| therefore, for less postage charges.
! During the year the number of presi-
/ dental postOffices increased %, the
number at the close of the year being
| 1886, which by October 1st had increas-
ed to 1881. Of fourth class Offices there
We're on July LIST, last, 52,S21, an in
! crease for the year of 1,543. On October
1st the total number of postofiices of all
classes was 30, 434, of which 50. 053 We're
of the fourth class
There Were 3,019 postmasters appoint
ed during the year, of which 6,S93 were
because Of expiration of terms or resig-
nations. There were 237 suspensions by
the president. OF the 9, 149 postmasters
in presidential offices on March 4, 1888.
there remained 313 whose commissions
have not expired, and 81 who have been
reappOinted. One thousand eight hun
dred and nine presidential offices have
new postmasters. Since March 4, 1885,
there have been 36,252 appointments of
pOstmaSterS in fourth-class offices.
General Villas recommends a new
classification Of postofices to make less
arbitrary and more natural classification.
by which the salaries of postmasters of
the third class may be increased He
also recommends that all box-rent should
be a part of the revenue of the govern
ment, SO that in this respect there should
be uniformity in dealing with the public
He advocates the owning by the govern
ment of its own pOStOfficeS where the
business is sufficient to call for an lnde-
pendent building. Other recommended
tons are for more specific legislation in
relation to the expenditure of the appro-
priation for clerk hire, and for classifi-
cation Of the entire body of postoffice
clerks, with pay graded according to
rank.
Eight cities were added to the free
delivery list during the year. and the
number of cities in which the postage on
local matter exceeded the cost of free
delivery increased from 10 to 80. This
leads Mr.. Villas to remark that 'all
reasonable improvements in the local af-
fairs and facilities of postofiices will
produce more gain of revenue than their
cost" There has been a marked change
in public sentiment in relation to the
free-delivery system. At first it had to
be forced upon cities against the popular
desire, now it is eagerly sought for. and
the post master general suggests its ex-
tension to cities of more than 5000 in
habitants, even if the gross postal
revenue is less than $4,000. There are,
he says, only 147 such cities.
1t is strange that the public are so slow
to appreciate the benefits of the special
delivery service, the returns showing
very little increase in patronage for the
year. The service costs the government
nothing and yielded a revenue of about
$4,000 last year. a few years from
now it will be as popular as the free-de-
livery system.
General Villas, who is held responsible
for the vast damage which the postal
service of the country has suffered every
where by the wholesale removal of hon
est and efficient railway postal clerks, is
now an earnest advocate of admission to
to Office by competitive examination,
and to fixing the tenure during good be-
havior. Certainly he is right about this.
Just as certainly as he is audaciouslv
wrong in asserting that the postal service
OF today is better than ever before, when
he knows it is not to be compared with
the service of three years ago.
The chief increase in postal revenues
during this year was from the sale Of
stamps and stamped paper. the gain be
ing about s.. 224 900, or more than ten
per cent. Box rents increased to the
amount of $40, 452, and the receipts for
mails carried for foreign countries in
creased fifty-six per cent. The ex-